Contest
by Amnasus
Summary: Sequel to "A Walk On The Moon". one shot. Six years after, an interesting contest planned for Vegeta. Please read and review.


Disclaimer: Dragonball not mine  
  
Note: This story takes place 6 years after "A Walk On the Moon". Goten is upset because she's being dumped again. Vegeta is upset because ..... Find out what is planned for Vegeta.  
  
Contest  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
To walk this world alone  
  
To fight battles of my own  
  
I wonder if I can take a stop  
  
From striving to be at top I'd wondered many worlds  
  
I'd destroyed many worlds  
  
I gad grown  
  
Indifferent and cold All that have changed  
  
Now, I have a heart  
  
She's the flame that  
  
Melts the ice of my soul But she's like the moon  
  
Seems so near  
  
Yet so distant  
  
Does she have a heart?  
  
~~~~~  
  
Midnight.  
  
Vegeta stepped out of the gravity room. His hair and clothes were sulked with sweat.  
  
His breathing was even, his steps light, as though he never trained in the gravity room for hours.  
  
He lost track of time when he trained. Had not the clock on the wall blinked several times as the midnight hour approached, he wouldn't know he had been in the gravity room for so many hours.  
  
As he walked down the hall to his room, he past Goten's room. There was light from under the door. Goten's weeping and Goku's comforting voice seeped through the closed. Vegeta slowed and lightened his steps.  
  
"Come on, my sweet baby girl. Don't cry, please. You know, my heart aches like I've been starving for three months when you cry like this."  
  
Weeping was Goten's reply to her father.  
  
"Sweetie, tell Papa what happened. Tell Papa what he did to my Goten."  
  
"I got dumped, again! We dated for half a day. I thought I'll see him again, I thought we'll have a second date..." Goten wept more, "But all of my hope turned into ashes as he saw how I handled a bunch of robbers at the National Bank. Papa, I scared him away. Oh! Papa, why do things like this always happen to me? I never dated a guy twice!" Goten choked as she wept.  
  
Outside of Goten's bedroom, Vegeta felt a strange emotion. Brushing it aside, he continued toward his room. His steps were very light, didn't make a sound.  
  
Goku placed his palm on Goten's shoulder, kissed her forehead and padded her back to comfort her with his other arm. He hoped Bulma, or Gohan were home. They could do a much better comforting job than he. Unfortunately, they were one the other side of the globe for an important business meeting.  
  
He knew Vegeta was outside of the room just a moment ago. He had sensed his chi, though he tried to hide it.  
  
Vegeta, some day, you'll understand the meaning of being a father. Some day, you will. "Sweetie, you understand that he lacks the courage to accept a girl who's stronger than him. It's unworthy to be upset by such gutless guy!"  
  
Goku continued, "Goten, sweetie. Listen to Papa, there's someone for everyone. I'm sure you'll meet a guy worthy for your affection and who won't run away from you because of your strength!"  
  
Goku wiped clumsily away the tears on his daughter's face.  
  
Women were made of water.  
  
This was a theory so true that Goku would never dream to argue against it.  
  
Goten stared at her father with eyes swollen from excess weeping.  
  
"Papa! Is what you've said true?"  
  
"Goten, of course. Now, please cry no more..."  
  
~~~~~  
  
The next morning.  
  
Goku was awaken by the salivating smell of food. A tray of breakfast was placed on the desk not far away from the bed.  
  
He knew who placed it there --- Goten must had used teleportation to bring the food to him. He smiled. He was happy that his daughter seem had gotten through with yesterday's ordeal. He was happy that the first thing he was aware of at the moment he woke up was his favorite thing --- food. He was more happier that his daughter cooked breakfast for him. Goten's cooking was as good as any chef of a famous restaurant.  
  
He jumped from his bed and ran toward the bathroom to brush and shave.  
  
As he reached for his breakfast, he found a note leaning against the cup of milk.  
  
Without a thought, he immediately opened it.  
  
Goku sighed after reading the note.  
  
"Goten, what do you have in mind this time?" Goku murmured.  
  
~~~~~  
  
A month later.  
  
"Vegeta! What's bothering you? You are not concentrating!" Goku yelled at Vegeta. He just blasted a chi attack at Vegeta. He was sure that Vegeta could have easily ducked away. But Vegeta was hit hard and the effect from Goku's attack pushed him three feet into a hill.  
  
Goku flew near Vegeta,  
  
"Vegeta, you've been acting like this for several days..."  
  
"I'm fine, Kocarote, I'm fine." He growled.  
  
"Being hit by a cheap attack during our spar is not fine!"  
  
"If you don't mine, let's call it for the day." Vegeta got to his feet, readied to leave.  
  
"Wait!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Look, Vegeta," Goku took out a piece of paper and handed it to Vegeta, "there'll be a martial arts contest next week. Why don't you and I both join it and we'll have a good spar."  
  
Vegeta read the paper: "Once in a Lifetime Martial Arts Contest: the winner will get a surprise prize."  
  
"Vegeta, get your thoughts together and concentrate on training. I'll meet you at the contest." Goku pressed his index and middle fingers on his forehead and teleported away.  
  
~~~~~  
  
At evening.  
  
Vegeta sat on a cliff, facing the setting sun. He was not looking at the sun. He was not looking at anything in particular. Waves after waves of evening breeze brushed against him. His loose clothes made noises under the breeze and his streaky jet black hair bent to the gentle wind's will.  
  
Goten, where are you? Vegeta let his eyelids drop so that he could concentrate to sense Goten's chi. But no mater how hard he tried, how hard he concentrated, he couldn't sense her chi.  
  
He hadn't seen or sensed Goten for a month. The last time he sensed her presence was the night he overheard Goten's weeping over being rejected once again by some guy. He hadn't heard Goku say or expressed concerns over Goten's disappearance. Where was Goten now? Vegeta wanted to know. Was she dating a guy? He felt a sense of loss each time she talked about dating a guy. Strangely, he felt the opposite when Goten's dates didn't work out. He had sympathy for her agonies, but couldn't help himself for the delightful feeling that none of the boys would have her affections.  
  
Do I miss her? Vegeta reopened his eyes. He found only a gust of breeze called for him.  
  
Yes I do! I haven't been able to concentrate on training because I have missed her!  
  
Vegeta bit his lower lip. Damn it! Vegeta, how could you? How dare you to have such thoughts over Kocarote's daughter!  
  
Vegeta shoot into the air like a flying rocket. The effect of air friction against his face made him retreat his thoughts of Goten.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The "Once in a Life Time Martial Arts Contest" had brought the interest as well as curiosity from news broadcasts all over the world. This contest had a very interesting rule: only single men were allowed to participate. This rule brought protests from unqualified participants. They even threatened law suits against this discriminative contest.  
  
Vegeta knew about this rule after he signed in for the contest. He cursed as he became aware that Goku was unqualified due to his marital status. It was meaningless for him to stay in this contest if he couldn't have a good fight with Goku. He decided to quit, until he saw a familiar figure came his way.  
  
"Hey! Vegeta, didn't expect you would come!"  
  
"I didn't expect you either, Piccolo!" Vegeta said in his usually cold tone. He changed his mind. He decided to stay in this contest. He knew that a good fight with Piccolo was a guarantee.  
  
  
  
Hours later..  
  
The stage stood two final contestants -- Vegeta and Piccolo.  
  
"This is the final round. Whoever wins will get the surprise prize. All of us are extremely curious of what that prize might be. The audience is excited to see how this final round would go..."  
  
Neither Vegeta nor Piccolo paid attention to what he host said. Their eyes locked on each other, to seek their chance to attack.  
  
If the opponent doesn't move, I don't move. But if he moves, I have to move before he does.  
  
Sweat formed on both Piccolo and Vegeta's foreheads.  
  
Suddenly, both men simultaneously started their attacks.  
  
The audience couldn't see how they started, nor could they see how they fought. All they could see was both men moved toward each other at a speed greater than a flying bullet, then they vanished from sight. But the audience could hear the noises of fighting between the two men.  
  
To his surprise, Vegeta realized that Piccolo had improved and his style also had changed. He hadn't seen Piccolo for only half a month, how could he had improved so much? Had Piccolo been training in the Room of Spirit and Time for several days?  
  
Suddenly, Piccolo extended his chi on both of his hands. He didn't shoot out his chi as an attack, instead, he contained it on his hands. On Piccolo's right hand, his chi formed into something resembled a long sword. On his left hand, a chi whip.  
  
Piccolo's style of fighting changed. He no longer used strength against strength tactic. Now, he used his chi whip to control the distance between his opponent and himself, while he used his chi sword to attack. His style was defensive and offensive at the same time. His moves were elegant and beautiful.  
  
Wait! Such style was never Piccolo's. It seem so familiar. Vegeta never saw anyone used a whip and a sword at the same time as weapons. But such an elegant yet effective characteristic in fighting was rare. There was only person who fought like this --- Goten.  
  
Goten! Did Goten teach Piccolo these moves? Did Goten taught him how to contain chi rather than to release it in fighting? But that's not possible! Piccolo wouldn't let a girl teach him how to fight.  
  
Vegeta barely avoided several attempts by Piccolo's chi whip from being rolled toward his waiting chi sword.  
  
Both men admired each other's extremely well trained combat skills. Both men seek very carefully an opening for chance to defeat the each other.  
  
Vegeta deliberately showed a fake opening. Piccolo took it, despite he already knew it was a trap. He wanted Vegeta to believe that he would fall for his trap.  
  
Vegeta gave out his final attack --- a chi blast that had taken almost all of his energy. And so did Piccolo.  
  
The effect was the destruction the stage and the whole stadium being shaken as if there was an earthquake.  
  
As the dust from the destroyed stage cleared, both men were still standing, their eyes were on their opponent. Suddenly, both fell, from exhaustion.  
  
Moments later, both Piccolo and Vegeta struggled to their feet.  
  
The host declared, "This fight is a tie! But there's only one prize to give out...."  
  
"Wait!" Piccolo cut off the host.  
  
"I am not qualified to participate in this contest!"  
  
The audience made noises equivalent to 'what?'  
  
"Piccolo! You are qualified. We check each contestant's background before admitting them to join this contest. Your file clearly shows that you're qualified." This host said.  
  
"What if I am not Piccolo?" Piccolo reached to his belt and took out a small electronic device, similar to a coin. He closed his fist against the device.  
  
Vegeta, the host, and all of the audience were shocked to see the change before their eyes.  
  
As the fist that had enclosed the electronic device opened, dust fell off from the palm.  
  
"Son, Son Gohan!" The host cried out.  
  
"Yes, I am Son Gohan, a married man. I'm not qualified for this contest. The winner is Vegeta!"  
  
"Yes. The winner of this final round as well as this contest is Vegeta! Congratulations, Vegeta! Now, you'll have to answer two questions before you can claim your price!"  
  
"Wait!" Vegeta intervened the host, he asked, "Gohan, why?"  
  
"I used an image inducer to alter my appearance and chi signature to resemble Piccolo's so that I can fight with you in this contest."  
  
"You did that to keep me from quitting this contest in the first place."  
  
"Well, yes."  
  
"I still don't understand."  
  
"You'll understand once you answer the host's questions." Gohan walked away, leaving Vegeta still felt puzzled.  
  
This host took out a card and read from it out loud, without using her microphone.  
  
"Vegeta, if there's a place you want to go, where would it be?"  
  
"The moon." Vegeta answered without a thought.  
  
The host smiled.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I walked on it six years ago." With Goten.  
  
The host's smile brighten, "Congratulations! Vegeta, your answers match with the answers on my card. You may claim your prize." She bowed and walked away.  
  
Vegeta suddenly sensed Goten's chi. She was behind him and very near! Vegeta spun around and found Goten stood about a hundred feet away.  
  
Goten was dressed in a casual white dress. It showed her elegant shapes and curves. She began walking toward Vegeta.  
  
She looked like a goddess, approaching Vegeta slowly, step by step.  
  
Now, Vegeta understood. He understood that his contest was planned for him.  
  
"Who planned this?"  
  
"Does it matter?"  
  
"Not anymore."  
  
"I wouldn't show myself before you if you didn't answer the two questions the way you just did." Goten stopped in front of Vegeta, her eyes stared into Vegeta's. Vegeta stared back into hers.  
  
"I've missed you!" Vegeta whispered.  
  
Goten let out a smile of innocent joy.  
  
Seeing Goten's smile, Vegeta acknowledged and admitted his affections for her, he smiled back.  
  
"This is a beginning." He took the smiling girl's hand. "I have one condition though"  
  
Goten looked at him, waiting.  
  
"You're not to date another guy. I've been jealous all these years. But most important of all, I've missed you. I've missed you so much."  
  
"It took me years to finally hear that."  
  
Goten started to lean forward. Vegeta was not a fool, he encircled free arm around her and lowered himself to kiss the beautiful woman he was embracing.  
  
He tasted heaven. From the back of his head, he faintly heard the crowd's cheers.  
  
  
  
Away from the center stadium, Goku wrapped an arm around his son.  
  
"Gohan, do you think Vegeta will be mad at us for scheming on him?"  
  
"Dad, I am sure he's glad for the result. How could be mad at the master mind, the woman he's been in love with for several years?"  
  
Goku turned toward his son, his jaw dropped.  
  
Gohan noticed his father's surprise, "Dad, I am a man and a half Sayin. I can see it in Vegeta if he's in love. It took him long enough to finally realize his affections for my dear sister."  
  
"That means, Vegeta is going to be my son-in-law! He will have to call me father. That feels strange. Honestly. Son."  
  
"I bet he feels the same. But love can change people."  
  
~The End~  
  
How do you like it? Review, pretty please! ^_^ 


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